Getting to know Palin

September 02, 2008|By Chicago Tribune, Los Angeles Times

With his selection of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin as his Republican running mate, John McCain is giving his presidential campaign a political makeover: Rather than selling himself as a war hero with national security credentials, he is donning the mantle of the reformer. Here's a quick history of Sarah Palin.

Born: 1964 in Sandpoint, Idaho. Her family moved to tiny Wasilla, Alaska, north of Anchorage when Sarah was an infant.

Education: University of Idaho journalism graduate

"Sarah Barracuda:" The nickname she first earned for her fierce play on Wasilla's girls state championship high school basketball team. Revived years later by political opponents unhappy with her hard-nosed management style when she became Wasilla's mayor.

Family life: After college, eloped with high school sweetheart, Todd Palin, a commercial fisherman, oil field worker and champion in snowmobile racing. They have five children.

Political career: Four years on the Wasilla City Council, six as mayor and two as Alaska governor. Also headed the Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission.

Upside: Like McCain, brings a reputation for bucking the political establishment. Christian right should be pleased by her strong opposition to abortion.

Risk: Brings a thin political resume to the ticket and lacks foreign policy experience. A key McCain strategy has been to paint Obama as inexperienced, but it could be harder to argue the point when McCain has a running mate with a scant political track record beyond running a town of about 9,800 and a state of about 700,000.